“Create your own visual style… let it be unique to yourself yet identifiable for others.”

-Orson Wells

Everyone is always talking about those summer nights. You know, those nights when you lay back, look up with a chilled drink in your hands and wonder. That time when all that you dream of could be true. Not to be confused with summer days, the days when you want nothing more than to focus on living through to get to the summer nights. Believe me, If anyone is an advocate of taking it easy, it’s me. I’m also an advocate of pleasurable aesthetics, that is, making sure that whatever space you call your own, is truly one you want to be in. Of course, it is understandable that this is simply ideal. We are not all in the position of “having it our way,” not matter the expense. Let’s not forget about that elusive concept known as time. Which is why I am here!

Seeing that there is hardly a difference between “Broke College Student” and “Starving Artist,” I know a little bit about stretching the dollar.

Cinder Block Bench –

  This one is pretty self explanatory. Simple and relatively inexpensive, you become the designer. Find an ideal spot on your porch or in your backyard, pick your color palette, decide what type of wood is best for you, search for some forgotten throw pillows and BAM! A lovely ( and sturdy) spot to read a book, take a sip of wine and unwind.

Glowing Globes – 

Time passes by easily when you are immersed in another world. Before you know it, dusk is upon you and those worlds made of words become more difficult to see. Rather than moving inside, might I suggest simply flipping a switch. There are many options for DIY backyard lighting, one of my favorites is easy, cheap and effective. Head down to a hardware store and purchase light fixtures, like these. If you have some old Holiday lights fro the previous year, great. That will reduce your spending, if not there are cheap rope lights that are available. Simply roll them up, stuff them in the orb and there you have it. Glowing Glass Orbs.

Natural Mosquito Repellent –

We all know the typical tactics to rid ourselves of those relentlessly rambunctious pest. Guess what I found, repellent that has other uses, as well! Some of the plants you find in your herb garden help you more than you know. I came across this website Best Plants. It speaks for itself. Here are some of the plants I found that could be used in a multitude of ways in your home.

Lemongrass, Basil, Lavender, Rosemary, Mint, to name quite a few!

Three is a wonderful crowd – 

Love having other over but have less than adequate seating? No problem. We all know and love (hate) those standard, cheap folding metal chairs. While it is great that they are relatively inexpensive they do not have to be standard. Consider the following: Color. A couple of coats of a vibrant color will change the way you see that bland folding chair. Instead see it as a welcome sign to all who wander your way.

Expand your view – 

Tiny yard? Restricting patio? Rather than focus on what you don’t have, trick yourself. Mirrors, messing with our minds for most of our lives, but not this time. This time we use mirrors to help. Whether you want to dress it up in a re-purposed window or create a wall, mirrors will help you expand your view of what your summer has in store for you and yours.

Inner Child – 

Speaking of you and yours, whether you have some little ones running around or you just miss the feeling of possibility when your feet are reaching for the sky, swings are where it is at. All you need is a sturdy tree or overhang and you can go on swinging and wishing, wishing and swinging.

Hopefully, this was a “Big Bang” for your future creative endeavors to make your home your own. If you have any questions concerning the structural safety of any of these projects, please feel free to check out AvidTX, we are happy to help in whatever way possible!